Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Except on that rodent, apparently. Hank is home today, but yesterday in school they made groundhog puppets (think tongue depressor sticks and a metric ton of brown construction paper). This morning we were puttering around when he said, "Oh! I have a idea! Why don't you watch the news about a groundhog!" He was so excited. So for the first time in my life, ever, I hastened to the TV on the morning of February 2 to tune in the proceedings in Punxsutawney. Fortunately Al Roker had sent his crack team of correspondents to Gobbler's Knob. We watched as the guys in top hats manhandled Phil, and Hank loved every minute. He turned to me and said, very solemn, "He saw his shadow, Mom." In case I'd missed it. When you're three, I guess everything in the world is new and weird, so sure, a day devoted to this groundhog character, why not?

I love that movie, Groundhog Day. So funny and goodhearted, it is definitely in my top ten. I'm not sure what else is in the top ten. I might put Solaris up there, no kidding. It's a mood piece, people.

I've given a little thought to what days I would want to live over and over. Have you? Certainly the day I got engaged to Matt, when I knew without doubt that large portion of my future happiness was assured, and I felt so relieved. Maybe one of the first days I spent in Italy as a college undergrad. One of the days this Christmas, with all the family together in the mountains. Really, considering we never know what's coming at us next, I would take any ordinary day on repeat.

Other things in this day so far:

Someone please explain to me why it is impossible for us to get our recycling to curb in time for the truck. The garbage and recycling trucks come around Tuesday morning. Why do we not think of this Monday night? Instead I run out there in my Uggs every week at around 9:30. This is on time for the garbage, but not the recycling, though some time they mix it up and come later, and this epistemological gray area leads me to text Normal Neighbor at some point during the afternoon and say, "Did your recycling come?" And she's like, really? I am SO BORED that you're asking me this again. It comes EARLY IN THE MORNING, POTATO HEAD. She's a lot nicer than that though.

I was going to have my first tennis lesson this morning, but it got rained out. Tennis is a big huge thing in the neighborhoods here, and I've always wanted to learn, so I figured that one way to do that would be to join a team. Normal Neighbor is starting a beginner's team, and when we were at a party she asked me if I wanted to play. I said yes. Then she called me a week later and said, "Did you really want to be on the team or were you drunk when you said that?" I was like, honey, I don't know how to take that. Also I've never been so drunk that I agreed to participate in group sports. Except possibly that time Freshman year when we played Red Rover. So I've been thinking that I need to do more things that scare me, and this tennis thing is one of them. I will keep you posted.

If I had this day to do over I would totally make that recycling truck. Have a fun Tuesday, my dears.

19 comments:

Becky, have your kids been to The Yellow River Game Ranch? It is an animal preserve and I used to take the boys there and we much preferred it over the zoo. It’s one of those non-fancy old-fashioned places left. You buy peanuts and carrots and feed the deer and squirrels and there is a bunny area where you can pet all these bunnies. They even have bison (but you don’t get close to them).Anyway, therein lives groundhog General Beauregard Lee, the South’s prognosticator and he has a little Southern mansion called Beau's Weathering Heights Plantation.Today he did not see his shadow and so an early spring it will be. In the South.Love the movie also.

Re the freshman red rover game: The paternal statute of limitations has not expired on all things. If you're going to post things in a public forum, please leave room for some things to remain plausibly deniable.

Oooo. Please tell me that you have a cute, young, male tennis instructor.

Jude was all excited this morning because his first grade class was going to get to watch P. Pete's venture out of his hole (lair? den?) on the tv. Not that we have winter here anyway...(not intended to make any of you people who live in places with less excellent weather feel bad).

Michele R, we've never been to Yellow River, but now I'll make a point of it. I had heard of it but I had no idea that groundhog Beauregard Lee was there!

And the tennis skirts are pretty much a uniform in these parts too. I did purchase a skirt because it was on sale at TJ's, and it is adorable, but I think our practice tomorrow is going to be a sweatpants affair.

the recycling and the garbage are thorns in my side. hubs always blames ME for not getting it out in time. me! as if he isn't totally capable to both remember and drag it out to the cul de sac on his own. grrrr...